Study of drug resistance in previously treated tuberculosis patients in Gujarat, India

Authors: Shah A. R.; Agarwal S. K.; Shah K. V.

Source: The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 6, Number 12, December 2002 , pp. 1098-1101(4)

Publisher: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease

Abstract:

SETTING: Department of Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases and State Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Training Centre (STDTC), a DOTS centre in Ahmedabad, Gujarat State, India. The study was carried out by retrospectively reviewing patient data between January 2000 and August 2001.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pattern of drug resistance among previously treated tuberculosis patients who remained symptomatic or smear-positive despite receiving anti-tuberculosis drugs under DOTS for a minimum of 5 months.

DESIGN: A total of 1472 pulmonary tuberculosis patients who had taken anti-tuberculosis treatment were evaluated retrospectively with respect to their drug resistance pattern by sputum culture for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) and sensitivity testing with isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomycin and ethambutol (E).

RESULT: Of the 1472 patients evaluated, 804 (54.6%) were treatment failure cases and 668 (45.4%) were relapse cases; 822 patients (373 failure and 449 relapse) were culture-positive. Of these 822 patients, 482 (58.64%, 261 failure and 221 relapse) were resistant to one or more drugs. Resistance to one drug was observed in 86 patients (10.46%), to two drugs in 149 (18.13%), to three drugs in 122 (14.84%) and to four drugs in 125 (15.21%). Single drug resistance was most commonly seen with isoniazid (62 patients, 7.5%), followed by streptomycin (12 patients, 1.4%), rifampicin (eight patients, 0.97%) and ethambutol (four patients, 0.4%). Resistance to isoniazid plus rifampicin alone was seen in 76 patients (9.2%).

CONCLUSION: Drug resistance is a major problem in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Detection of drug resistance patterns and treatment with second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs in appropriate regimens are necessary in the treatment of failure and relapse cases in order to reduce the emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Keywords: tuberculosis; acquired; drug resistance; India

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: State Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Training Centre, Department of Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases, Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, India

Publication date: 2002-12-01

• The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease publishes articles on all aspects of lung health, including public health-related issues such as training programmes, cost-benefit analysis, legislation, epidemiology, intervention studies and health systems research. The IJTLD is dedicated to the continuing education of physicians and health personnel and the dissemination of information on tuberculosis and lung health world-wide.

  Certain IJTLD articles are selected for translation into French, Spanish, Chinese or Russian. They are available on the Union website

• Editorial Board
• Information for Authors
• Subscribe to this Title
• ingentaconnect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Internal Medicine
• By this author: Shah A. R. ;  Agarwal S. K. ;  Shah K. V.

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers